David Beckham could be tempted by Chivas opportunity after struggles with Miami bid

David Beckham's bid to launch a Major League Soccer club in Miami faces stiff competition after he was offered the chance to invest in Los Angeles-based Chivas USA.

The former England captain has been frustrated in his efforts to gain permission to build a waterfront stadium in Miami.

And the 39-year-old could be attracted by the opportunity to be part of a consortium planning to buy Chivas.

Options: David Beckham could be tempted to join a group of investors looking at Chivas USA

The group is backed by Chinese and South Korean investors and a source told Yahoo: 'The consortium would love to have David involved for his international appeal and, of course, his popularity in Los Angeles.

'The plan is to establish the club as a force, move it away from its current location and build a serious fan base in L.A. that would enable it to compete with the Galaxy both in terms of branding and on the field.'

The proposal is in the very early stages and Beckham favours the option in Miami although he and his family still have a house in Los Angeles and its status as a major global city suits his ambitions.

Beckham spent five years with LA Galaxy and had a clause inserted into his contract enabling him to become an owner for a cut-price fee at the end of his playing career.

He is keen to deliver a MLS club for the people of Miami, who have been supportive of his venture, but is being thwarted by red tape and has spent the last few months exploring the creation of a soccer franchise in Miami and stressed the importance of a downtown stadium location. It was the second waterfront site proposed by Beckham's group to run into local resistance.

Bold: An artist's impression of how the new stadium in Miami would have looked

No go: Beckham's bid for a brand new waterfront stadium in Miami was rejected by the city

The group headed by the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star needs to ink a stadium deal before it can win final approval for the franchise from MLS, the top professional league in the United States.

Beckham's group has agreed to finance a $250million (£149m) stadium with seating for 20,000 and to pay rent for the stadium, which it has sought to build on public land.

The MLS wants Chivas to move away from its current home at the StubHub Center in California.The club is battling dwindling crowds and poor performances on the field with Wilmer Cabrera's side lying bottom of the Western Conference.

Other possible locations for Beckham include San Diego, Austin and Oklahoma but they remain back-up options.

A spokesman for Miami Beckham United told Sportsmail: 'We don't discuss specifics of any proposals, however we have always said there are other cities who are open to David bringing a team there. We have always said that Miami is our preferred choice and we are working towards that.'